Women's College Basketball: Drexel survives to NIT semis

And the last Philadelphia college basketball team standing is … the Drexel women.

“That’s no April Fools’ joke,” said Dragons coach, and Villanova grad, Denise Dillon.

No it isn’t. La Salle’s magical run in the men’s NCAA Tournament ended in the Sweet 16. The Temple men were bounced in the third round. Villanova lost in the second round and Saint Joseph’s fell in the first round of the Men’s NIT. The Villanova and Saint Joseph’s women fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the Penn women lost in the semifinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational.

The Drexel women, though, are very much alive.

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After dropping a heart-breaking, 59-56, decision to Delaware in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game, the Dragons have gone on the run of a lifetime, beating Iona, Harvard, Bowling Green and Auburn to reach the semifinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

Next up is a final four showdown with Florida (22-14) Wednesday night at the Daskalakis Center (7 p.m.). The winner takes on the winner of the game between Utah (22-13) and Kansas State (19-17) for the WNIT title Saturday afternoon at a site to be determined.

“This has been unbelievable,” said senior guard and Archbishop Carroll grad Hollie Mershon. “It’s meant everything to us. The loss to Delaware was tough, but after the game I told the girls that our season wasn’t over and that we still had a lot of goals we can still accomplish and that’s been our focus.”

One mark was the program record for wins in a season. The Dragons (26-10) broke that record with a 50-47 triumph over Bowling Green in the quarterfinals. Next is the championship that eluded them in the CAA Tournament.

“The Delaware game left a bitter taste,” Mershon said.

The Dragons turned that bitterness into an intense desire to win and no one has been more driven than Mershon. She is averaging 19.75 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the tournament. She is shooting 46.2 percent overall, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.

Mershon’s performance has been a fitting end to a remarkable career. The 5-10 guard ranks fifth in school history in career scoring (1,559 points), fifth in career assists (374), eighth in career field goals made (552), sixth in field goals attempted (1,342), fourth in 3-point field goals made (190) and attempted (530) and second in career games played (128).

Only teammate and fellow senior Taylor Wootton has played in more games in a Drexel uniform (129).

“It’s been everything I wanted it to be,” Mershon said. “Initially, I wanted to stay close to home so my family could see me play, but I know they would have come to see me wherever I went. I just love everything about the school, the atmosphere and the city. I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”

Neither could Dillon.

“She’s been unbelievable,” Dillon said. “She’s showing the younger players how it’s done. All the seniors are. They just won’t let us lose. They just want to keep playing for as long as possible.”

Mershon is quick to share the credit with her teammates, especially fellow seniors Taylor Wootton, Renee Johnson-Allen and Nicki Jones.

“Our team chemistry is something special,” Mershon said. “Everyone is on the same page on and off the court and when you’re on the same page, you don’t want it to end.”

“It’s such a selfless team,” Dillon said. “If I was at the end of my coaching career, I’d want to go out with this type of team.”

The people at Drexel will be happy to know that Dillon has no plans on retiring anytime in the near future. She has a lot she wants to do before she calls it a career.

Mershon isn’t finished, either. She wants to go out with a championship.

“That would be unbelievable,” Mershon said. “I don’t have the words to describe what that would mean to me and this team. It would be an amazing way to end my career.”